|
Oglethorpe Coach Honored for Katrina Relief Efforts
 ATLANTA – Oglethorpe University head soccer coach Jon Akin has been chosen by the Louisiana Spirit soccer team as the recipient of the 2007 Unsung Hero Award for his work in February at a soccer camp in Edgar, Louisiana, for children living in two FEMA Transitional Trailer Communities.
The camps provided soccer training by professional soccer players, coaches and Oglethorpe University soccer players. Coach Akin helped organize the camp and worked with businesses in Atlanta to collect 100 new donated soccer balls to be given to every child who attended the camp. He also brought soccer goals from Oglethorpe University and reached out to the soccer community for donations.
“We wanted to teach these kids that the skills they learn on the field will help them succeed during a game and in life. If you practice everyday, work hard and stay determined you can be a success on and off the field,” said Coach Akin.
The Amp Circle and L&L Trailer Communities are isolated from many activities and conveniences that residents of New Orleans were accustomed to before Hurricane Katrina. “This soccer camp was a welcomed outlet and created a lasting beginning for future recreational ventures in the area of St. John the Baptist Parish,” said Councilman Lester Rainey.
|
